I've been mostly car lite and occasionally car free since around 1999. Over the years, I've learned that it's possible to ride in extreme heat and cold, ride in rain and snow, and carry heavy things on a bike. I've also learned that I'd rather spend my time outside than trapped in a box - whether it's my own car, or one that someone else is driving, like a bus. At one point, I took a job in a community where car free living was nearly impossible: the homicidal maniacs and terrible infrastructure were bad, but the feral dogs did me in. It was a big reason why I left.

These days, I drive about once a week. I don't like doing it, but it's cheaper/easier for me to get all the groceries and heavy stuff, like cat litter and my (car-free) partner's diet Coke in one big trip with an automobile. I also drive the cats to the vet...and that's about it.

Whenever the car dies, we'll probably go car free again - there are plenty of things I'd rather do with my money than make car payments. I've thought about selling the car to finance a sturdier bike and serious cargo trailer, but the car isn't worth enough to pay for that, and insurance and maintenance are really cheap on an old car that you drive 20 miles a month. So, here we are, car lite, but not dependent. Quite a change for someone who grew up in The Car State.

I've been mostly car lite and occasionally car free since around 1999. Over the years, I've learned that it's possible to ride in extreme heat and cold, ride in rain and snow, and carry heavy things on a bike. I've also learned that I'd rather spend my time outside than trapped in a box - whether it's my own car, or one that someone else is driving, like a bus. At one point, I took a job in a community where car free living was nearly impossible: the homicidal maniacs and terrible infrastructure were bad, but the feral dogs did me in. It was a big reason why I left.

These days, I drive about once a week. I don't like doing it, but it's cheaper/easier for me to get all the groceries and heavy stuff, like cat litter and my (car-free) partner's diet Coke in one big trip with an automobile. I also drive the cats to the vet...and that's about it.

Whenever the car dies, we'll probably go car free again - there are plenty of things I'd rather do with my money than make car payments. I've thought about selling the car to finance a sturdier bike and serious cargo trailer, but the car isn't worth enough to pay for that, and insurance and maintenance are really cheap on an old car that you drive 20 miles a month. So, here we are, car lite, but not dependent. Quite a change for someone who grew up in The Car State.

Welcome! Are you from Michigan? I grew up in Highland Park, but I've lived in Lansing for almost 30 years.

Hi everyone! I'm a new one here and don't own a bike yet. We had some fun cruisers but sold them last summer. I'm getting ready to dive back in and take our driving down to a minimum, at least in the warmer months. I'm hauling two kids (4.5yrs and 10mths) to school, stores, church and more! We can't wait to order our first cargo/family bike and get to riding!

Hi everyone! I'm a new one here and don't own a bike yet. We had some fun cruisers but sold them last summer. I'm getting ready to dive back in and take our driving down to a minimum, at least in the warmer months. I'm hauling two kids (4.5yrs and 10mths) to school, stores, church and more! We can't wait to order our first cargo/family bike and get to riding!

Welcome! It's great to have more young parents here. And Michiganders!

I'm car-light... Well, I don't own a car myself and not riding one neither.
But my wife does have a company car that she's an addict, using it for the weekly shopping and other daily stuff.
So therefore, I'm not car free....

However, I'm 30 and never owned one myself, I go by foot, bike or trains. In the city: trams or metro,... don't like the bus that much.
I do have a drivers-licence. Did it to drive the car to replace my wife when she has a broken leg.
I used this drivers-knowledge to drive her to hospital, once she was pregnant... left the car on the parking and the other following days I went to the hospital by train and by foot

Anyway, I just dislike driving, takes too much of my energy and focus.
And I'm a little ecologic too. I grow my own vegetables in the garden.

My car has not ran since 12/12 and it will be at least anther year before i have it going again. i guess i qualify as car light as i do most of my running around at home on bikes or borrowed car. However i am a Truck driver and drive more miles in a week than most do in a month or two.

My car has not ran since 12/12 and it will be at least anther year before i have it going again. i guess i qualify as car light as i do most of my running around at home on bikes or borrowed car. However i am a Truck driver and drive more miles in a week than most do in a month or two.

Welcome! Who knows, if you hang out in this subforum enough, you just might decide to give up on your car.

Welcome! Who knows, if you hang out in this subforum enough, you just might decide to give up on your car.

not likely,i'm a car fanatic. i bought it to own for very long time. Not so much to drive everywhere, but more of a hobby car.... i'm shooting for 40 mpg when i build the new motor.. unless batteries get much cheaper and easier to buy

i do see the need to reduce the number of cars and trucks on the road... and also i see how dangerous it can become (on a regular basis )

Car free for about six weeks now, was car lite for two years before. My car's power steering went out and I haven't bothered to get it fixed. (Well, I took it to a mechanic and they told me the total cost to fix it would be $1,300.) I don't really see the point when I can get around on my bike just fine. I like not even having the option of driving, just hop on my bike and go.

Car free for about six weeks now, was car lite for two years before. My car's power steering went out and I haven't bothered to get it fixed. (Well, I took it to a mechanic and they told me the total cost to fix it would be $1,300.) I don't really see the point when I can get around on my bike just fine. I like not even having the option of driving, just hop on my bike and go.

Welcome to the forum. A big auto repair bill is sometimes the last straw for people before they become carfree. Keep us posted on how it's going for you.

I don't care if you are on a unicycle, as long as you're not using a motor to get places you get props from me. We're here to support each other. Share ideas, and motivate one another to actually keep doing it.

My resolution this year was to go car light(er). My commute is only 4 miles each way so it hasn't been incredibly hard, though my afternoon ride is all uphill. I'm in my early 30s and have a desk job so getting healthier was the biggest reason, and being "greener" / using less gas were a close 2nd. Happy to say that I've biked 80% of my work days this year. I would normally have driven between 3k and 4k miles by this time of year, but currently I'm at just over 1k. Thanks to everyone on this forum for inspiration as well.

I'm curious how long those of us here have been car light or car free. Have your views changed in that time?

I'm technically retired (68) but have a new career -Author-Publisher (ie. self-published author)- where I work from home.
I have an SUV that gets about 10 feet to the gallon. Well, maybe not quite that bad, 16.5mpg in town. Not so good @ $4.39gal.
I ride 15-20 miles every morning and the only time I use the car is to go get groceries. In a year I've put about 2000 miles on it, including an out-of-town trip. The average American driver does 12,000 mi/yr. It's only for trips where I can't carry things on one of three bikes.

Back in the late 70's/early 80's people thought I was nutz riding a bike to work in Beverly Hills where everyone owns at least a Mercedes. They gave me funny looks and shook their heads. Now I think people are a lot more environmentally conscious and bicycle aware. Am I dreaming?

Sep 1 - let me amend that. According to what I've read on car sites almost all suv's (even the 4 cycl Honda) get around 16mph in town. I can't complain. And it's really a nice car (Mercedes-Benz). Still, I put less than 100 miles a month on it. Most places in the west are spread out, lots of distance involved. A car is more a necessity than anything else.

Hello everybody. I am a retired baby-boomer living on a meager budget. Back in February of this year, I realized that it had actually been over a week since I had started and driven my car! It got me wondering,...if I can go a week without driving a car, could I go 2 weeks?! a month?! a year, perhaps?! I started noticing where my travel commutes were taking me, and whether or not I could make the same trip on a bike? My answer was always, "yes", I can do this trip on a bike, with a little more effort! Do I REALLY need this car?!

So, on a whim, I decided to list my car for sale. Surprisingly, I got an offer on it within a week! Without even thinking about it much, I sold the car, and suddenly I am living car-free! WOW. For a guy that has ALWAYS owned a vehicle since the age of 18, it was a bit like jumping out of a boat in the middle of the ocean! Well, there was nothing left to do now but to start swimming...lol...luckily for me, I live in an area that is close to all the businesses I frequent. The bank, the ATM's, grocery store, pharmacy, doctor's office, post office, all within a few miles and a few minutes on a bike.

So, anyway, that's my situation at the moment. If I need a vehicle for an emergency road trip, I can always rent a car. The bus routes are very efficient and affordable, too. If all else fails, there is still the option of calling a cab. I have been car-free for over 4 months now. I've been able to save a little money and pay off all my credit cards as a side benefit! I'm now debating whether or not I should buy another car just in case of emergency. It sure is hard to climb back into that boat and struggle to row it, when floating along with the current seems so natural!

I'm getting inspired to continue the car-free lifestyle as I read more posts here at the forum. Thanks for any advice, tips, or comments, and continued success to all in your bicycling, recumbent, or alternative transportation ventures!

Hello everybody. I am a retired baby-boomer living on a meager budget. Back in February of this year, I realized that it had actually been over a week since I had started and driven my car! It got me wondering,...if I can go a week without driving a car, could I go 2 weeks?! a month?! a year, perhaps?! I started noticing where my travel commutes were taking me, and whether or not I could make the same trip on a bike? My answer was always, "yes", I can do this trip on a bike, with a little more effort! Do I REALLY need this car?!

So, on a whim, I decided to list my car for sale. Surprisingly, I got an offer on it within a week! Without even thinking about it much, I sold the car, and suddenly I am living car-free! WOW. For a guy that has ALWAYS owned a vehicle since the age of 18, it was a bit like jumping out of a boat in the middle of the ocean! Well, there was nothing left to do now but to start swimming...lol...luckily for me, I live in an area that is close to all the businesses I frequent. The bank, the ATM's, grocery store, pharmacy, doctor's office, post office, all within a few miles and a few minutes on a bike.

So, anyway, that's my situation at the moment. If I need a vehicle for an emergency road trip, I can always rent a car. The bus routes are very efficient and affordable, too. If all else fails, there is still the option of calling a cab. I have been car-free for over 4 months now. I've been able to save a little money and pay off all my credit cards as a side benefit! I'm now debating whether or not I should buy another car just in case of emergency. It sure is hard to climb back into that boat and struggle to row it, when floating along with the current seems so natural!

I'm getting inspired to continue the car-free lifestyle as I read more posts here at the forum. Thanks for any advice, tips, or comments, and continued success to all in your bicycling, recumbent, or alternative transportation ventures!

Hi Everyone, my family and I just recently went car free in St. Louis, Missouri. My wife and I both work from home and the kids school's are close, so it made it easy to take the leap when the transmission in our car died. One thing I have noticed during the first month, even after looking for a potential replacement car, we just have not felt the urge to buy one. Where we are located in St. Louis is a semi suburban area, but within 5 miles from everything we need or want, including car rentals and public transportation. We live what I would call a fairly luxurious minimal lifestyle, so really any of the so-called issues of not owning a car have been just First World Problems. What has been funny, is that I have commuted via bike at various times in my life, sometimes as much as 30 miles round trip, yet never really thought I could go car free. Now that we are, it has been very good for our family. Everything has been much more of an adventure to be enjoyed together.

Anyway, I look forward to being part of the discussion. Thanks to everyone who have given us so much info already!